Box



' :May 12 1936- M. c. uslNGx-:R

Box

` Filed sept. 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 rz er' er 7 u f 4r, win/5K9.

May 1.2, 193e. Mg. USINGER 2,040,224

Patented May' l2, 1936 UNITEDV STATES PATENT ori-ice i l -BOX man c. mmm, Means, ra., signor to Fea. eral Container Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application september 13,1935. No. 41,035

3 claims (ci. zzo-za) This invention rentes to a box and 'particularly to a type to be used for shipping which is, as a consequence, made of heavy material capable of withstanding considerable abuse. Shipping boxes are generally of a rather unhandy character in that they present no projecting portions offering handholds, or, if they do, such projecting portions are so weak that the boxes'cannot be safely lifted thereby. As a consequence.. when `filled with heavy materials such boxes can only be handled by placing the hands underneath the same, the necessity for which creates diiiiculties iin both picking up the boxes and laying them own.

Boxes of the shipping type also generally recuire elaborate sealing by adhesiv'e paper or the 11ke and the joints thus formed in closing them are usually the weakest portions of the box. It is the broad object of the present invention to provide a closure which may be either top or bottom, `or both, for a shipping box which is not only readily located in closed position without the necessity for elaborate sealing, but which also furnishes a secure handhold whereby the box may be conveniently carried. Briefly stated, the invention comprises a box provided with flanges about one or more open sides, with which flanges there lock inturned flanges carried by a. closure.

The flanges are so arranged that closure may be readilyeifected and likewise opening, though the opening ismade suiliciently diflicult that there is no danger of the closure being removed accidentaliy. Furthermore. there is offered noy ease of removal which would suggest the unwarranted opening. If secure sealing with adhesive is desired, the flanges may be secured together by adhesive, whereupon the box can be opened only by destruction.

' The broad objects indicated above, together with specific objects of the invention relating to Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated at 3 in Fig. 1;

idg. 4 is a developed plan viewvof one of the closures, the top and bottom closures being in the present instance identical;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a partially locked closure illustrating cooperations of the various parts; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontaisection taken on the plane indicated at 6-6 in Fig. 2.

`It will be understood that the type'of closure herein specifically described and forming a preferred embodiment of the invention may be used for the top or bottom of a box, or both: in the Vpresent instance it is applied to both thetop and 1p heavy ycardboard which may, for' example, be of a laminated character having a corrugated inter- `mediate ply to promoteV strength, the various flaps already mentioned and those hereafter 25 described may be conveniently delineated by scored lines, as is well known in this art. The presence of such scored lines provides for the ready bending of aps in the proper fashion for use.

As most clearly indicated in Fig. 4, each of the closure members comprises a central rectangular portion having dimensions exceeding the outside dimensions of an open end of the box. At the ends of the portion I Il are located end closure 35 iiaps l2 connected by intermediate portions I6 with integral outer extensions I8. These poi'- tions are dened from each other by scored lines along which foldingmay take place. The extensions I8, as indicated in Fig. 4, are shorter than 40 the flaps I2 The necessity of this will be obvious hereafter upon consideration of the mode of use of the closure. Similariiaps 20 and intermediate portions and extensions 2l andvlS are I integrally carried by the longitudinal edges of the 45 'central part i0 of the closure.

Scored lines 22 similar to the scored lines Il define these parts. At the ends of the longitudinally extending naps 20 there are two-section end extensions comprising the sections 28 and 34, connected by an inter- 50 4mediate portion 32, defined from each other by scored lines 30. 'I'he outermost section of each end extension has a rounded edge, as indicated at 36, to facilitate assembly,

In assembling the improved closure, the cen- 55 matter of a few seconds.

tral portion Il is located over the rectangular opening of the box as indicated in Fig. 1. The longitudinally extending anges are then folded over the locking aps 6 and their outer extensions are tucked under` the ap G'as indicated in Fig. 3. "Following this the endextensions 28 are vfolded inwardly, embracing the ends of the locking aps 8, and then the iiaps I2 are folded downwardly over the locking flaps 8 and the end extensions 28 and their outer extensions forced betweenthe porticns34 of the end extensions and the walls Il. The placing of each closure in position is preferably effected so that the opposite aps are manipulated simultaneously. When this is done closure of the box is merelyv a If, however, cardboard is used such as the corrugated intermediate ply type in common use, the stiness of the various flaps is such that a quite secure closure is attained which may be opened only with substantial difficulty considerably greater than vthat required to eiect closure. This is by reason of the fact that the inturned outer extensions of the aps are not' readily pulled outtucked into place, may be coated with adhesive which, upon drying, eifectively prevents their removal from their inturned positions.

From Figs. l and 2 it will be obvious that there are provided, by reason of the use of thick material, quite secure handholds of very substantial strength by which the boxes may be lifted. To a lesser extent, the side aps provide the same, although, in the construction described herein, the width of a side projecting part is'less than the width of an end projecting part.

While the outer extensions i8 and 26 of the aps are necessarily somewhat shortened in order that they may be received properly inside the flaps 6 and 8, the inner portions I2 and 20 of the.

ilaps may correspond to the outer dimensions of the box so as 'to meet at the corners. 'I'his fea- `ture, together with the provision of the double end extensions 28-44, insures a considerable thickness of material at the corners, as will be evident from Fig. 6. The corners of the box are thereby very much reinforced so as to withstand dropping or general rough handling. 4

Ii' desired, particularly where the box is not likely to be subjected to as rough handling, the

preferred construction which has been illustrated at its four edges integral closure aps free from each other at their adjacent ends, at least two of said closure aps, which correspond to said lock-- mentioned closure flaps and their outer exten-- sions, one of the sections of each end extension being outside the corresponding locking flap and the other being inside such locking ap.

il.l A box formed of pasteboard or the like comprising side and end walls having free edges defining a rectangular opening, and a, rectangular closure for the opening, said walls having integral locking aps extending outwardly from their'four free edges, said closure having at its four edges integral closure iiaps free from each other at their adjacent ends, all of said closure aps having integral outer extensions, and each of two of the closure iiaps having a pair of end extensions, said parts being constructed and arranged so that,

when the closure is in place, it covers said rectangular opening, with'the locking flaps located substantially parallel to their carrying walls and covered by the corresponding closure flaps, the outer extensions of the closure flaps being located between the respective. locking aps and their integral outer extensions, and each of two of the closure iiaps having a pair of two-section end extensions, said parts being constructed and arranged so that, when the closure is in place, it covers said rectangular opening, with the locking iiaps located substantially parallel to their car'- rying walls and covered by the corresponding closure flaps, the outer extensions of the closure ilaps being located between the respective locking ilaps and their walls, and the two-section end extensions being embraced between the 'closure flaps which do not carry them and their outerextensions, one of the sections of each end extension being -outside the locking flap with which it contacts and the other being inside said locking flap.

MATTHIAS C.v USINGER. 

